Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c13.272

c13.272

Varṇa distinctions in ordeals, which are not found in Manu,⁷ are laid down by the lawgivers of this period.⁸ Yājñavalkya states that the ordeals of fire, water or poison should be administered to the śūdra and that the balance to the brāhmaṇa;⁹ he does not mention kṣatriyas and vaiśyas in this connection. But three other lawgivers lay down that a brāhmaṇa should be tested by the balance, a kṣatriya by fire, a vaiśya by water, and a śūdra by poison.¹ But here again Kātyāyana provides the alternative that all these ordeals can be administered to the members of all the varṇas, except that of poison, which cannot be administered to the brāhmaṇa.² Nārada also gives the alternative rule that the ordeal of poison can be administered to the kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras.³ Viṣṇu states that this ordeal cannot be administered to a brāhmaṇa,⁴ as is done by Nārada and Kātyāyana.⁵ Viṣṇu prescribes different kinds of oaths, and ordeal by sacred libation for the śūdra, according to the value of deposit denied, or of the theft or robbery.⁶ If the vaule exceeds half a suvarṇa, the judge may administer to the śūdra any of the four ordeals, namely balance, fire, water or poison.⁷ But although Viṣṇu gives detailed rules about the application of these four ordeals,⁸ he does not prescribe them for different varṇas as other lawgivers do. Perhaps some consideration was shown to the brāhmaṇas to whom poison could not be administered, otherwise varṇa distinctions in matters of ordeal did not prevail. The practice of ordeal by water obtained in Western India, probably in the kingdom of the Sātavāhanas, in the third century A.D.,⁹ but there is nothing to show that it was confined to the members of any particular varṇa. It seems, however, that special types of ordeals prevailed among the tribal peoples and foreigners, who were being absorbed in the lower ranks of brāhmaṇical society. Therefore Kātyāyana lays down that the king should observe the ordeals peculiar to the untouchables (aspr̥śyas), low people (adhamas), slaves and mlecchas.¹⁰